


All Fun and Games

by sparkandwolf (thatnerdemryn)



Series: How the Scene Should Have Gone - Sterek Edition [10]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Hale is Stiles Stilinski's Anchor, Episode: s03e22 De-Void, First Kiss, Fix-It, Getting Together, M/M, Mind Manipulation, Void Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:00:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/pseuds/sparkandwolf
Summary: For the first time since he lost his family, he felt like everything was falling into place. He had Stiles in his arms and nothing could change that. He had his Stiles pressed against him and-- No. There was something off - his Stiles wasn’t there, couldn’t be, he-- Something wasn’t right. Something…The feeling snapped Derek back to reality as he dragged his lips away from Stiles’ and held him by his shoulders.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: How the Scene Should Have Gone - Sterek Edition [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668073
Comments: 10
Kudos: 183





	All Fun and Games

**Author's Note:**

> I rewatched 3B with a wonderful girl and this came out of it. Hope you enjoy!

“We're going to get into his head.” Derek eyed Peter closely, suspecting a trick - there was always a trick with Peter. 

“I can do it,” Scott volunteered immediately, stepping toward Derek with his head held high. Derek knew how he felt, ready to do anything, to trust anyone if it meant they could get Stiles back. Peter smirked at Derek, his eyes narrowing in that way that never failed to make Derek’s stomach churn. 

Derek held his arm out over Scott’s chest, stopping him in his stride. “What does he have to do?” Derek asked, raising his eyebrows at his uncle. Peter let out a soft chuckle and wrung his fingers together, the knuckle crack making Derek wince. 

“Scott is going to try and dig through pale and sickly Evil-Stiles' mind to unearth pale and sickly Real-Stiles. Then, guide him back from the depths of his own subconscious.” Peter’s voice trailed off and Derek didn’t focus on the insinuation that Stiles was anything but perfect, opting instead to raise his chin at Peter in question. 

“That’s it?” Derek knew it wasn’t, it never was. 

“But he's not going to do it alone,” Peter said, a menacing tone to his voice as he stared at Derek, his gaze unflinching. Derek felt everyone’s eyes on him and tried to push down the emotions welling up inside of him. 

“What do you mean?” Scott asked as he gripped Derek’s wrist a little tighter in his grasp. 

Peter rolled his eyes before replying. “Somebody needs to go in with you.” Derek felt his entire body tense as Scott’s claws dug into his skin. 

“I’ll do it!” Lydia offered, taking a step forward. “He’s one of my best friends and he was in love with me for years, it should be me,” she clarified as Peter glared at her. 

“He’s practically my son, I-- I raised him since he was eight years old. I should go,” Melissa chimed in as she stepped beside Scott and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The claws in Derek’s arm seemed to disappear and Derek didn’t let himself think about it. Peter took in the offers in front of him and laughed as his head tilted toward the ground. When he looked back up, his eyes latched to Derek’s again. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. 

“It has to be me, it--” Derek took a breath and tore his eyes from Peter’s to stare at the ground, pointedly away from Stiles’ alpha and friends. “The stronger the connection, the easier it will be for Scott to find him. I--” Derek cleared his throat and held his chin up high. “It has to be me, us,” Derek said, turning toward Scott. To his surprise, there was no argument as Scott nodded his head and walked toward Peter. 

“What do I have to do?” Peter extended his claws and Scott’s eyes flashed red. Derek sat on the couch next to Stiles - _Not Stiles_ , he reminded himself and let his hands rest on his thighs. He could feel them trembling against his jeans as he wiped his sweat-covered palms against the fabric. 

“You find him,” Peter said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Derek rolled his eyes and even though he couldn’t see Scott, he knew he was doing the same. 

“So, what do we do _if_ we find him?” Derek felt the sharpness of Scott’s claws against his neck and inhaled quickly as his eyes shut in preparation. 

“You're going to have to guide him out somehow. Try to give him back control of his mind, his body,” Peter trailed off, no doubt waving his hand like everyone in the room could somehow finish his thoughts. Derek opened his eyes to glare in Peter’s direction. 

“Could you elaborate on the ‘somehow?’ It's not feeling very specific at the moment,” Derek grumbled out, his own claws pressing into his legs. He wanted to get this over with; go in, figure out how to find Stiles and get out with _his_ Stiles back. 

“Improvise?” Peter suggested, shrugging his shoulders again and shooting a fake smile at Scott. Derek wanted to smack him. 

“What if this is just another trick?” Scott asked, and for the first time since Derek had arrived, he heard the fear in Scott’s voice, the stutter in his heartbeat. Derek turned his head to Not Stiles and his chest tightened at the raised eyebrow and grin barely visible behind the tape Melissa had put over his mouth. Derek wouldn’t admit that he was afraid, either. 

“When are you people going to start trusting me?” Peter asked, exasperatedly. Derek and Scott shot him similar looks and Scott gestured to Not Stiles. 

“...I meant him.” Peter smiled sheepishly and went to retort, but Deaton beat him to it. 

“Scott, we’re running out of time,” Deaton said, his voice too calm in the tense room. He nodded at Scott and Derek felt the claws dig further into his neck. His vision went blurry with pain and then all he could see was darkness. 

* * *

It was loud above them; the sound of sneakers on metal, cheering, clapping, whistling piercing through Derek’s oversensitive ears. He was flush against someone - _Stiles_. He would recognize that scent anywhere; sweat and dirt that he and Scott often smelled of after lacrosse. There were lips attached to his neck, soft and smooth against his hot skin. He knew they belong to Stiles, the lips Derek had wanted on him for months. 

“Stiles, what--”

“We won, Derek! I scored the winning goal and you’re _here_ ,” Stiles said, staring up at Derek with wide, joy-filled eyes. Derek looked down at him, his face covered in the after effects of a game well played did nothing to deter Derek’s hands from cupping his face. 

“Of course I’m here,” Derek said, resting his forehead against Stiles’. His arms wrapped around Derek’s waist, holding him tighter as the sounds around them seemed to dim away. “And you won?” Derek asked, shaking his head to push away any other feelings besides Stiles all around him. He wanted to be in the moment, that moment where he could hold Stiles with no one to see his vulnerability, his true feelings.

“I-- Derek, you’re the reason we won. I saw you standing there, just beside the bleachers and I knew I had to win. For you, I-- I won for you,” Stiles said as he surged forward and connected their lips. 

Derek held him so delicately, their lips moving slowly against each other’s, and Derek savored it. He let the taste of sweat and sweet run through him as Stiles’ tongue swiped his bottom lip. He opened his mouth to let their tongues battle for dominance even though Derek knew he was no match for the boy in front of him. He would give Stiles anything, everything he had to feel what was rushing through him for the rest of his life. 

For the first time since he lost his family, he felt like everything was falling into place. He had Stiles in his arms and nothing could change that. He had his Stiles pressed against him and-- _No._ There was something off - _his Stiles_ wasn’t there, couldn’t be, he-- Something wasn’t right _._ Something… 

The feeling snapped Derek back to reality as he dragged his lips away from Stiles’ and held him by his shoulders. He didn’t remember what he was doing before the game, he didn’t remember the game, he didn’t know why they were hidden away under the bleachers with Stiles. Derek was surrounded by perfection and it felt so _wrong_. 

“Stiles, what are we doing under here?” Derek asked, his tongue licking the remaining taste of Stiles from his lips. 

“We’re celebrating, Derek, don’t you-- Don’t you want this?” Stiles pouted up at him and Derek almost broke. The joy was gone from Stiles’ eyes and it hurt Derek, it hurt him more than he thought possible. 

“Thi-- This isn’t _real_ , Stiles. We aren’t--” Derek couldn’t bring himself to say the words. It felt so real to have Stiles in his arms, to kiss his supple lips and taste the urgency between them. Stiles’ eyes narrowed, his face turned dark, and Derek drew from everything inside of him to push Stiles back. He backed away and as he moved, he saw the bandages wrapping around Stiles’ hands slithering up his skin until they covered his face. He yelled out, his heart shattering as he broke free from the confinement of the bleachers and his vision went white. 

* * *

“Derek, Derek! Is that you?” He heard Scott’s panicked voice as his vision focused on the white walls surrounding him. He felt Scott’s hand on his arm, the same spot he had gripped so tightly when they made the decision to find Stiles, and Derek saw what they came for. 

Stiles was sitting on the Nemeton, face to face with a bandaged man that Derek thought he caught a glimpse of in his memory - No, not a memory; a hallucination, a nightmare. Derek shook it off as Scott raced toward them. They yelled for Stiles, both of their voices echoing off the bare walls but Stiles made no indication that he could hear them. He was focused on the game in front of him, his tongue peeking out from behind his lips as he debated his next move. It was such a familiar face, so _Stiles_ , and it had Derek’s heart leaping into his throat. 

“Stiles! We’re here! We found you!” Scott yelled, waving his arms as his breath panted out of him. No matter how fast they ran, Stiles didn’t get any closer. If Derek had thought he was in a nightmare before, nothing could match the feeling of Stiles being just out of reach. 

“He can’t hear us, Scott,” Derek muttered, his eyes never leaving the two. The bandaged man, the Nogitsune in his true form, Derek guessed, turned toward them, his sharp teeth gleaming in the bright lights. Derek’s skin crawled. 

“He has to hear us, Derek, what do we do?” Scott begged. Derek shook his head, trying to come up with an answer. 

“He’s in your pack. You have to--” Scott’s eyes flashed with understanding before Derek could finish his thought, the familiar red bleeding into them as he took a deep breath. His roar shook the room and Derek could see the pieces on the board rocking back and forth. The Nogitsune growled, his eyes darting back and forth between Stiles and the two werewolves, a sickly smirk uncovering his black teeth. 

“Why isn’t it working?” Scott screamed, falling to his knees, out of breath. Derek rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, trying to provide comfort when he needed it most. 

“I-- I don’t know, I--” Derek was supposed to be the one to figure it out. He was sent into Stiles’ brain for one reason and that was to pull him out. He had to pull Stiles out. He had to save him, it was… 

“It has to be you,” Scott said quickly, looking up at Derek with desperation in his eyes. Derek shook his head furiously, unable to move his eyes away from Stiles even to argue. 

“You’re his alpha, Scott. It has to be _you_ ,” Derek argued, running a hand through his hair. It couldn’t be him. What he felt for Stiles was his alone, a minor blip on the radar for everyone else. Scott stood slowly and narrowed his crimson eyes at Derek. 

“I may be his alpha, but Derek, I’m not his king.” Derek’s breath caught in his chest as his mind flashed to the chessboard in Stiles’ room. _Is there a reason my name is on the king?_ He had asked the question that no one knew the answer to, least of all himself. He wasn’t important, he didn’t deserve to be on such a prominent chest piece, but he was there. _Chess is Stiles’ game. It’s not the game of a Japanese fox_ , Peter had said in his cryptic way. It didn’t explain anything to Derek, but at that moment, it meant everything.

Derek’s eyes bled blue. He wasn’t an alpha, didn’t deserve the power he had freely given away, but he was still a wolf. And with Scott’s reassuring hand on his shoulder, he howled. 

The room was still. It didn’t shake or echo as it did with Scott and for a moment, Derek felt the panic flood through him. It had to work, they were out of options and it needed to work. He continued his howl, yelling Stiles’ name like it was the last thing he would ever say. If they didn’t save Stiles, Derek was sure it would have been. 

The pieces on the board came to life in the blink of an eye, trembling as if an earthquake struck underneath where they lay. When Stiles looked at him, Derek’s relief was instant. The Nogitsune stiffened as he stared at the smirk that formed on Stiles’ face. The pieces went flying as Stiles broke free of the Nogitsune’s hold. Derek reached out toward Stiles, willing to give anything to be with him, to have his Stiles back. 

* * *

He awoke with a gasp. The pain in his neck from Scott’s claws tearing out of him wasn’t enough to stop him from turning toward the figure next to him. Stiles was slouched over and Scott sprinted in front of him, panic in his tone. 

“Did it work? Did it work?” Scott chanted, careful to keep a distance from Stiles’ body. Derek couldn’t say the same. He held Stiles’ face in his hands, slapping his cheeks none too gently and to try and wake him up. Derek was too focused on Stiles to pay attention to what his uncle was distracting Scott and Lydia with, too horrified that Stiles wasn’t waking up - _why wasn’t he waking up?_

“Derek.” He heard Lydia’s whisper as if it was right beside his ear and Stiles’ eyes shot open. He fell back as Stiles surged forward, gripping his throat like he was choking, gasping for air as if he hadn’t been able to breathe. Derek reached for him, desperate grabs of his hands only to be pulled back by Scott. 

“Get back!” Scott yelled, his arm crossing Derek’s chest the only thing holding him back from helping Stiles. He retched on the floor, bandages covered in black projecting from his mouth and Derek could hear his heart struggling to beat. There was a moment of peace, a simple second where Derek debated on pulling Stiles into his arms and keeping him there. Then there was a hand protruding from the floor, climbing out of the bandages slowly and with purpose. 

Derek held his arm out over Lydia and Deaton in protection as Peter’s wolf growled lowly. Scott stood in front of all of them, ready to fight just as he always was. A figure emerged from the shadow, holding up his hands as if he’d never seen them before. He glanced around and Derek was unsure if he could see through the bandages covering his face. 

Suddenly, he surged forward and Derek and Scott caught him before he could reach the huddled together group. They pushed him back on a chair, holding him as he wriggled in place. Derek wanted to look back at Stiles, make sure he was really there, but his anger for the Nogitsune that had taken over his Stiles for so long outweighed his need to comfort. Bandaged hands gripped at his chest, scratching at whatever they could reach. 

“Hold him down!” Scott yelled. The jump in heartbeat and the smell of fear wafting off of the body had Derek pulling away and tugging Scott with him. “What are you doing?” Scott accused. Derek waited, watched as the squirming stopped and the bandaged hand reached for his face. The small sliver of light brown eyes that were undeniably Stiles’ had Derek inhaling sharply. 

“It’s him,” Derek whispered, moving closer to him to help unwrap the bandages from his face. Stiles’ pale skin, freckled with the moles Derek had never wanted to kiss more came into view as he gasped for air. The bags under his eyes, the darkness that seemed to emanate because of the Nogitsune’s hold over Stiles was gone and when Stiles’ voice finally spoke, it was like music to Derek’s ears. 

“D-Derek,” Stiles husked out. He held Stiles’ face in his hands and the sweat dampening his forehead was too familiar, too much like the hallucination the Nogitsune had forced him into. Derek didn’t care as he pressed their lips together. Stiles hands gripped his sides, pulling them as close as they could get with the barriers in between them. The bandages seemed to disappear and Derek felt the leather jacket hang off of Stiles’ body. He didn’t belong in _that_ leather jacket. 

“Stiles,” Derek repeated too many times to count as he wrapped his arms around Stiles’ shoulders and nuzzled his face into Stiles’ neck. He smelled like Stiles again, like pack, like _home_. “It’s really you…” Derek said the words like a prayer, as if he couldn’t believe them until he put them out to the universe. Stiles nodded into his shoulder, his fingers digging into Derek’s back like he wasn’t sure Derek was there either. 

“You-- You figured it out,” Stiles stuttered out, his lips ghosting over Derek’s neck with every word, a reminder that he was okay, he was real, he was _there_. 

“Of course we did,” Derek breathed, pulling back just enough to kiss Stiles again. He would never be able to go back to a time where he wasn’t able to press his lips to Stiles’ and hold him as if he would disappear in a moment. By the look on Stiles’ face when he pulled away, Stiles wouldn’t either. 

“Of course you did,” Stiles repeated, sagging into Derek’s arms, trusting him to keep his tired body afloat just as he trusted Derek to find him. Derek had never held him tighter. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have a [Tumblr](https://sparkandwolf.tumblr.com) specifically for my Sterek obsession so feel free to follow it for updates and snippets and other Sterek content and use my ask to send me prompts, coda ideas, or just scream with me about Sterek. 
> 
> Also, feel free to follow my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thatnerdemilyj) and let me know what you think. 
> 
> Please, please, please let me know your thought in the comments and leave kudos if you enjoyed it!


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